With the odd couple of exceptions, generally you’ll find that bands who have been together for a lengthy period of time usually start to mellow out at some stage in their career. Only recently I was saying this about the MANIC STREET PREACHERS who have lost some of their original punk-rock attitude in middle age…and this can be said too for artists such as ANATHEMA for example; originally a Gothic / doom metal outfit, over the years they evolved into the ambient, progressive band they are today (Check out “The Optimist” if you haven’t already). Well this can also be said about today’s band; let me introduce you to MANES. Formed in Trondheim, Norway back in 1992, they were originally part of the 90’s black metal scene alongside the likes of SATYRICON and IMMORTAL but over the years they’ve toned down into what’s been described as a bastardisation of rock, electronica and progressive jazz. The last time we heard from them was back in 2011 with what WAS to be their final album; “Be All End All”…but 2018 sees them return with the brand new album “Slow Motion Death Sequence”. Available through Debemur Morti Productions from August 24th…lets check it out…

We open up with “Endetidstegn”which more or less translates as ‘end-time signs’ and thematically kicks off the start of this death sequence on a dark, apocalyptic note. It’s slow and dramatic with minimal electronica and percussion, with vocals soaked in melancholy, though it picks up with some intense, dramatic, looming power chords and double kick drums, and the track develops a serious sense of foreboding…this album isn’t going to be a walk in the park let me tell you…and if it were, it would be at night in the middle of The Purge whilst you’re stalked by sociopaths. “Scion” follows up and it’s more of the slow, cold synths, with vocalist Asgeir Hatlen here giving it an 80’s alternative indie vibe; however its slow tempo makes the track feel like it lasts an eternity, with the repetition not helping one iota.

The album overall is fairly consistent in tone and approach, rarely veering from its path but it does have its few interesting points; “Therapism” utilises a moody, almost darkwave inspired tone…the creeping electronica occasionally pierced by assertive guitars, the use of single chords is simple yet effective and though while it does have a feeling of gradual build it never really puts it’s foot down, while “Building The Ship Of Theseus” returns to that almost post-punk, alternative 80’s vibe, aesthetically in ways slotting in between the likes of BAUHAUS and NICK CAVE…but sadly the rest of the record struggles to capture much attention. At seven and a half minutes, “Last Resort” sums itself up nicely, as a long-winded dreary acoustic-led piece and I really would only consider listening to this as a last resort…oh how I wished this was a PAPA ROACH cover...wouldn't that be fun...“Ater” then closes the album on what is essentially an avant-garde instrumental bar some minimal lyricism, and it’s a despairingly slow one at that, the last breath of this album escaping into the ether. Conceptually, as a listener I have to agree with the album’s title here because this truly is a slow motion death sequence…for generally it’s such a dull, miserable album…imagine yourself or, someone, anyone, in a time-lapse montage, just sat there, motionless, going from young adult, to being frail and elderly, before just succumbing to time and death itself; that’s what this album sounds like and it would perfectly accompany that montage in tone, for both conceptually are as equally sad and boring as the other. [3]

When they initially formed in the early 80’s, North Carolina’s Raleigh rockers CORROSION OF CONFORMITY were very much influenced by the big hitters in the hardcore punk scene, with the likes of BLACK FLAG and MINOR THREAT being among the bands that inspired them, but over the years, they’ve somewhat mellowed into a more stoner based syndicate as they’ve gotten older, and despite their seemingly revolving door policy for members, the original core line up of Woody Weatherman, Mike Dean, Reed Mullin and a returning Pepper Keenan have come together once again in early 2018 to deliver “No Cross No Crown”, their tenth studio album…having accepted these terms and conditions, let’s check it out.

The album gets underway with “Novus Deus” which roughly translates as “Revived God” which ties in nicely with the album title conceptually…the track itself is merely an intro at just under a minute and a half but it’s sludgy, doom-inspired tones echo early BLACK SABBATH efforts…there’s a coarseness to it and it builds up nice and slowly to first track proper “The Luddite”. The transition is a smooth one as it blends in almost immediately, picking up the pace considerably; the southern metal style prominent throughout, rich in groove but it’s got a heaviness to it within its riffs that sets it apart from most southern inspired bands. Lead single “Cast The First Stone” is much more energetic slab of music it has to be said…with its thrashing, up-tempo approach it’s a lot more comparable to their earlier work, with its ballsy, no fucks given attitude, in ways fans of GWAR could easily appreciate this one, an album highlight.

Speaking of highlights, we can’t ignore the similarly up-beat rip-ride of a track “Forgive Me”…with the stoner influences shining through a fine dose of hard rock, coupled with some truly infectious hooks and guitar licks, it’s a wonderfully enjoyable track and provides the albums peak. Highlights don’t necessarily mean bouncy and energetic mind you, as the band prove on the title track…a chilling slab of doom-inspired despair with a social/political pot-shot at the west, while “Nothing Left To Say” incorporates an emotive, soul-based tone, fully embracing southern blues heritage. The main faults with this album, if any really, are interludes…there are three of them, taking the whole track listing up to fifteen in total and, really there’s absolutely no need. “No Cross” comes across as filler from a low-budget horror movie score, “Matre’s Diem” or, “Mother’s Day” is a random little acoustic instrumental and “Sacred Isolation” is again, no more than filler. Overall though the rest of the tracks make up a decent stoner-rock record, and COC are showing no signs of corrosion after all this time. [7]

Picking up from where we left things last time, HIM were taking over the world; BAM MARGERA had helped them break out of mainland Europe into the UK and America, by introducing them to the MTV generation…their sales and fan base were on the rise, they were playing bigger stages at festivals, they were all over the charts internationally, Valo even won Metal Hammer’s prestigious Golden God award, and pandemonium couldn’t be sweeter…his infernal majesty had finally taken his rightful place upon the throne…but there’s an old saying; what goes up must come down and sadly, this began to happen sooner rather than later for HIM and it all came around the time of their next album…

"Venus Doom"

In the September of 2007, two years after they hit their commercial peak, the band did a dramatic U-turn, ditched the radio-friendly pop-rock of “Dark Light” and opened up the gates of hell with their follow up “Venus Doom”…praised by critics for its experimentation and total change of direction, the band had embraced a new found sense of heaviness, channelling the likes of PARADISE LOST, with Ville reacquainting us all with his love of all things doom metal (As if the title wasn’t a clue already)…musically it was far heavier than anything they had ever done before, even their earliest work…the riffs, bass and percussion were all full of aggression and suffering…the deep tones of the album allowed Valo to truly hypnotise the listener with his impressive baritone vocal range, on times sounding truly demonic and chilling like on the title track, the lead single “Kiss Of Dawn”, also on the hauntingly beautiful prog-metal journey of “Sleepwalking Past Hope”…but no matter how harsh the band gets musically there’s always a delicately balanced track listing and this album was no different. From the brief, acoustic campfire ballad “Song Or Suicide” to the tortured lamenting of “Cyanide Sun”…this was Adams Family level Gothic romance and it was stunning…their rise in popularity even found the song “Passions Killing Floor” used for the original “Transformers” soundtrack! Despite the change in direction, they were still big, still in the charts, even getting Grammy Award nominations…but the fame came at a price…Valo had developed worsening alcohol problems which over time became more and more of an issue…plagued by exhaustion from the pressures of success, plus problems in his personal life, the writing and recording process took its toll on Valo and he damn near drank himself to death…until he was admitted to rehab. With the blurry oil painting depicting Venus, the goddess of love, now forever a reminder that in nearly dooming himself to drown in a bottle, Valo unwittingly perfectly encapsulated HIM's marriage of love and death, even if he was looking at her through beer goggles...I’m sure he appreciates the irony looking back [8]

"Digital Versatile Doom"

Their success in America and mainstream popularity up to that point led the band to release their first and only (The bonus 6-track DVD footage with “And Love Said No” doesn’t count) live album; “Digital Versatile Doom”…released not long after “Venus Doom”, it was recorded as part of their rescheduled American tour at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. The tour and resulting live album was heavy on Venus Doom content but also featured several of the bands biggest singles to date, acting as an updated (Albeit live) version of their greatest hits…for those who were never fortunate enough to see the band live in person for whatever reason, this is essential, especially as it came with a DVD of the performance recorded as part of a 2-disk package…here you can get a real feel for the band; how tight they are as performers and how emotional the songs truly are on the raw environment of the live stage…not to mention Valo’s cheeky sense of humour mocking Linde for the amount of solo’s he has to play…[8]

"Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice, Chapters 1-13"

The trouble HIM faced for their follow up album was quite simply a matter of, where the hell do they go from here? They’ve just dropped the heaviest album of their career and Valo nearly did a George Best and put his liver through unthinkable punishment which nearly killed him…the answer? Another U-turn…yes this is where the band lost a lot of fans, as they began to yo-yo in style and lost a sense of credibility among the rock and metal community. In 2010 they released “Screamworks: Love In Theory In Practice, Chapters 1-13” (It just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it) and Valo, again in his self-depreciating mentality dubbed it their DEPECHE MODE album…gone was the bleak bombardment of gloomy, doom metal…gone were the tortured wails of Linde’s guitar…in their place were gentle melodies and enough pop hooks to give Simon Cowell the horn…written and arranged with far, far more emphasis on Burton’s keyboard playing and a much softer song writing approach, HIM found themselves facing a lot of uncertainty…critics were again, generally in favour, praising experimentation once more and championing Valo’s song writing, but a lot of fans weren’t impressed. Many were confused at the direction and while though it retained plenty of HIM’s trademark melancholy, it lacked the bands usual depth and came across as all too synthetic. Even Valo had convinced himself that it was a failure upon release, but in honesty, it’s merely by their own already high standards…lead single “Heartkiller” was undeniably infectious and the majority of the tracks on the album followed suit; “Scared To Death” is quite possibly the sweetest thing the band have written since “Join Me”…while “Acoustic Funeral (For Love In Limbo)” does have a slight emo influence, which people were already moving away from. There were naturally tracks with a bit of attitude however, with the likes of “Shatter Me With Hope” and “Like St. Valentine” having the most bite, but they were a far cry from what had preceded them…before the album closed on the synth-heavy “The Foreboding Sense Of Impending Happiness”…possibly the lease HIM song HIM have ever written, but far from terrible. Ultimately this was a solid collection of commercially heavy pop-inspired alt. rock that sadly got lost in the shuffle…wrong place, wrong time with the wrong sound…from here on out things would slowly go downhill. [7]

“When love starts to die it begins with a kiss; violently soothing and warm”…beautifully morose, melancholy has always played a major part in the lyrical style of Ville Valo and it’s that tortured feeling of love-lost that catapulted HIM into the hearts of legions of fans around the world. With a whole tongue-in-cheek genre of their own in Love Metal and with a logo reaching semi-religious status (The Heartagram is arguably the McDonald’s M of rock music) they steadily took over the world, branching out of their native Finland into mainland Europe, the UK and then beyond to the US, selling millions of albums worldwide and becoming Finland’s most successful musical export. On New Year’s Eve…Valo and co put those words into practice at their final performance at Tavastia, Finland for the last ever Helldone…calling time on their 20+ year career and kissing goodbye to a sold out teary-eyed crowd. With a rich back catalogue of albums and compilations, right now I’d like to pay respects to the band by taking a retrospective look at each of their albums and remind the world that, we’ve just lost something truly special in HIM, and the pleasure was all ours.

"666 Ways To Love: Prologue" EP

The bands journey started way back in 1991 when Valo and Mige originally came together playing covers but it wasn’t until the release of 1996’s now infamous “666 Ways To Love: Prologue” EP that the ball truly started rolling…with only 1,000 copies originally made, it’s considered by many to be the holy grail of HIM memorabilia, just short of kidnapping Valo himself…and it’s this little 4-track EP that started it all. From the opening screams of “Stigmata Diaboli” we soon get a taste of the hard rock inspired gothic tones the Finn’s would quickly master…Valo’s baritone vocal accompanied by the raw riff-heavy approach of Linde gave them a distinction that would before long have us eating out of the palm of their hands. The song that put them on the map however, was THAT cover of sombre CHRIS ISAAK ballad “Wicked Game” and here we have the bands earliest recorded version…again, raw, but it was impossible to ignore the potential in these Finn’s and as far as covers go, it was original. “Dark Sekret Love”, a far drearier affair highlighted Valo’s love of doom metal with its bleak, methodical style and an early, rough rendition of “The Heartless” rounds things off nicely. Early days but plenty to be inspired by…his infernal majesty wasn’t quite ready for his throne. [5]

"Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666"

Just a year later they were back and the world finally got HIM’s debut full length album…”Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666”…and here we got a much better sense of direction from the band. Despite being a touch more polished with slightly better production quality courtesy of Hiili Hiilesmaa, you can still sense the raw, garage rock feeling the band used to deliver their intertwined messages of love and death. Housing some of their darkest and grittiest pieces of music; tracks like “The Beginning Of The End” and “Our Diabolikal Rapture” really embraced the gloom and channeled the influence of the likes of TYPE-O-NEGATIVE and CATHEDRAL…the beautifully bleak “When Love And Death Embrace” became a trusted fan favourite, a song the band would later rely on as a solid encore, and another cover in the form of “Don’t Fear The Reaper”…the BLUE OYSTER CULT classic getting it’s wrists slit to be bled out on a bed of roses…dark and romantic…HIM were here to violate us in the most sensual ways…[6]

"Razorblade Romance"

The next album wouldn’t follow for another three years but to say it was definitely worth the wait is by far an understatement…in 2000, after coming to Wales to record in Rockfield Studios, they dropped not only the album of their career…but arguably the greatest Gothic rock album for generations; “Razorblade Romance”. With its bright pink cover art acting as a middle finger to stereotypes and super slick production it saw the band rise to heights they’d never have expected in their own humble self-depreciating humour. With tracks like “Join Me In Death” hitting the top of the charts in both Finland and Germany, HIM could do no wrong and no wrong they did…with an album literally full of top tunes, they exploded onto the scene with tracks like “Right Here In My Arms” and “Razorblade Kiss”...and not forgetting that cover of “Wicked Game”…re-recorded here again but SO much smoother, it’s here the band claimed the song as their own, creating a modern Gothic rock anthem in the process. The newly found sense of melody also saw the band embracing their softer side too, adding a depth to their song writing and playing on their romantic rock style…songs like “Heaven Tonight” and “Gone With The Sin” helped balance the chugging with the charming and quintessentially, the record was a masterpiece. No…the record IS a masterpiece to this day…and HIM will forever be pretty in pink. Goth rock was sexy again. [10]

"Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights"

HIM’s next album wasn’t far behind as the band didn’t take long writing new material, but the huge success found with the preceding record had made the record companies aware that there was money to be made with these Finn’s…and a lot of pressure was put upon the band to release a record equal in commercial acclaim; the result was “Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights”. Aided by producer Kevin Shirley, the band found themselves embracing (albeit reluctantly) a far sleeker sound leaning more towards pop music, stripped away was the grit and vigour of their established style and in its place, was even more emphasis on melody and mass-marketing. While it raised questions from long term fans, it still had the strength of Valo’s song-writing backing it up and despite the criticism, songs such “Heartache Every Moment” and “Pretending” were still huge…Linde is allowed to perform some tight guitar solos and the lighter musical approach allowed Burton to shine on the keyboard. “In Love And Lonely”,“You Are The One” and “Please Don’t Let It Go” all highlight the beauty of not only Valo’s song-writing ability but the capability of the band too, to diversify and pull it off with ease. Deep Shadows behind the scenes, but brilliant highlights on record…and frankly an under-appreciated album. [8]

Transylvania…while it did indeed exist as a region (we just call it central Romania these days), when you hear the word, the first thing you conjure up is the image of Count Dracula in his castle in the Carpathian mountains…moonlight, creepy forestry, bats…the traditional vampire lore and all of its clichés…so when a band by the name of BLOODY HAMMERS forms out of Transylvania County, North Carolina in the United States, it’s absolutely no surprise to learn where a lot of their influence is derived. With a lot of their album art influenced by old-school horror movie posters, and music inspired by the likes of BLACK SABBATHand NICK CAVE, you can tell right away we’re in for a gloomy treat and just recently they dropped a brand new EP by the name of “The Horrific Case Of The Bloody Hammers”…Have they come to suck your blood or, do they just suck? Let’s find out…

We rather appropriately open up at the “Gates Of Hell” and it gives the listener a pretty good idea as to where this EP is heading thematically. Musically we’re treated to a classic surge of hard rock riffs and chugging bass, while front-man Anders Manga’s deep vocals add character and a sense of dread...add to that a spooky yet catchy organ fill, it’s a decent opener…the organ provides us with the introduction on follow up track “Blood” too and it’s clear the band are very much in gimmick, though I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense…although generally slower than our opener, its tone is very brooding, bass-driven until the chorus comes to life with another surge of hard rock…seriously if Dracula had his own in-house band it’d probably be these guys…you can imagine Bela Lugosi hanging there, upside down, head-banging away…

“The Beyond” shifts in tone entirely and here we have an even slower, morose, otherworldly rock ballad…it’s very dreary as Anders sings of an inhuman being, avoiding contact with humanity, awaiting his journey home for he knows they don’t understand, they fear what they can’t comprehend and will kill him and you can’t help but feel guilty, as it resonates to a degree in today’s climate…a lack of understanding culturally, religiously, racially; alienation…and it’s quite a powerful track. “The Blood Sucker Leads The Dance” is similar in its tone and delivers a really dark, haunting track that easily channels the influence of Nick Cave, the melancholic poetry providing one of the EP’s clear highlights, before we finish up on “All The Colours Of The Dark”…a really trippy, synth driven piece, from the perspective of (from what I can gather) a would-be bride of Dracula…he’s watched her, he’s chosen her, he’s taken her and imprisoned her, she longs to see the light of day again but she’s helpless, and he waits for her inevitable submission, there’s a good story behind this track and it closes the EP well. I feel the balance between the classic rock and almost stoner-inspired gothic elements is just right here and it suits the theme and concept perfectly…there’s nothing horrific about this EP at all, it’s actually an enjoyable listen…those bloody hammers…why do you turn this blog into a house of lies? [7]

It has to be said, I like the simple things in life; you know like, irony…I have a thing for irony, I’m easily amused! The concept of being run over by an ambulance for example tickles me, or a vegan with aggressive hay fever (even the plants are fed up of you..) so when an intense, post-hardcore black metal band called HEXIS comes along, I had to chuckle…Hexis if you didn’t know derives from a Latin term meaning stable disposition…so the two naturally go hand in hand… (I’m calm…I’m calm…I’m calm…I’M GOING TO BURN DOWN THAT FUCKING CHURCH!) But all jokes aside, since their formation in Copenhagen in 2010, they’ve been pretty busy! They’ve already released 4 split singles, 2 full length albums and this; “XII”(featuring Filip Andersen on vocals, Victor on both bass and guitar, and Tommaso on drums) is their 4th EP…not bad for seven years! Let’s compose ourselves and check it out…

We open up with the brutally brief “Derelictus” and as its name suggests it lays waste to all before it with little to no remorse…leaving the listener a hollow, abandoned shell, empty of reason. A real bullet point of a track at just over a minute in length, it hits hard and fast with a flurry of furious riffs coupled with raspy, hellish vocals and pummelling percussion and, just like the onslaught of a winter storm, it’s over as soon as it starts, a ferocious introduction this…we follow up with “Nefarius” and it utilises a slower introduction, allowing the listener to compose themselves if only momentarily…it’s brooding and really rather wicked in tone which again, befits its name, before we’re subject to yet more horrifyingly fast black-metal riffs and percussion…

The rest of the EP continues in a similar fashion pretty much…”Famelicus” slots directly in behind and plays with a morbid sense of desperation…equally unrelenting, and with the cries of “Nothing is sacred”…you feel there is a hunger for purpose…it hammers home a sense of suffering, while “Miseria” flows through with smooth continuation…another short one at two minutes, it soon bursts into life with pent up demonic rage, before closing track “Sacrificium” ends things on a very dramatic, almost cinematic note…the whole track comes across as grand, epic and climatic and rounds things off very well…inspired by the likes of CELESTE and THOU…you can hear where the influences of sludge and hardcore have combined with their Danish/Scandinavian black metal roots and it’s created a wall of noise that’s certainly not to be scoffed at…at just five tracks, it’s worth enduring the intensity to get through this beastly little EP…which gives you just over a quarter of an hour to go burn down that church. [5]

If you listen to rock or metal, or, hell ANY genre in some capacity then, odds on you’ve heard the word elitist thrown around, often as a derogatory term…you probably know one (there’s always one)…proclaiming that, so-and-so’s original material was FAR superior to their recent stuff or, generally just living in the past like a Liverpool fan and telling everyone everything was better back in the day…sounding familiar? I’m looking at you METALLICA fans...the reaction from bands however can vary. Take LINKIN PARK for example…a real case of not giving a single fuck about the fans that kept pining for “Hybrid Theory” 2.0 by doing what they wanted each and every time, evolving with each new album…sadly, following on from their controversial last release, Chester Bennington is no longer with us and we have to live with our harsh words forever…other bands mind you go back to the drawing board…bands like PARADISE LOST.

When they started out back in the late 80’s, they were pioneering in the doom metal genre, perfectly combining thrash-driven underground metal with deep, dark, gothic morbidity for a truly despairing sound and they paved the way for so many artists over the years…but like all bands, they dabbled and over a brief period towards the late 90’s, they went softer, more electronic and to be honest, while never truly flopping critically, they pissed a lot of fans off…ever since though, they’ve been on an on-going journey to return to that dark past, to dig up those roots and rediscover themselves and oh boy have they found some treasure here. 2017 see’s the Yorkshire metal veterans continue on a fine run of form following on from 2015’s “The Plague Within” with their brand new album “Medusa”…let’s hope we don’t turn to stone…

We open up with “Fearless Sky” and we’re met with a genuinely menacing introduction…the soft but haunting sound of the organ gives the track a sense of grandiose horror, it’s chilling and really sets a dark tone going forward, before Gregor Mackintosh enters the fray with his trademark, evil guitar sound; slow deep riffs and ear piercing wails…while vocalist Nick Holmes unleashing his hellish, unforgiving growls, commands your attention like few other front-men. With a few key-changes over the tracks 8-minute+ run-time including a hard-rock climatic flurry, its one hell of a re-acquaintance and gets this album underway nothing short of perfectly. “Gods Of Ancient” and “The Longest Winter” continue this nostalgic happiness effortlessly…with the former harking back to their early days of sludgy, doom-laden riffs and an overall darkness in its presentation, while the latter taking a note from BLACK SABBATH starts with rainfall, a ravens call…there’s an echo to the guitar here and Holmes’ softer vocals coupled with the slow gothic-metal approach would please fans of TYPE-O-NEGATIVE…wonderful stuff…

They aren’t always gloomy however, as “Blood And Chaos” proves brilliantly…the up-tempo offering despite it’s obvious aggression utilises some genuinely catchy hooks and has a really infectious rhythm, it’s really accessible and being one of the shorter tracks, it’s very easy listening, providing a clear album highlight with its contrast, likewise with “Shrines”; using more groove and a more delicate guitar, it’s got a more sultry, morose gothic feel…there’s a feeling of sorrow and mourning here and it’s beautiful in its own despairing way, before we finish up on “Symbolic Virtue”…classic as it comes with Mackintosh counteracting a sweet layer of piano with his strong gloomy riffs and the result is sinister yet harmonic, closing proceedings very well. Nearly 30 years into their career, Paradise Lost are still proving few can touch them when it comes to brutal, gothic misery, they really are masters of their craft…not even Perseus could top this one…[8]

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Gavin J Griffiths, a.k.a GavTheGothicChav, lover of new music and supporter of bands. Inspired by a mixture of horror and comedy, and fueled by a blend of alcohol and sarcasm...if you're singer / in a band and would like a review written up, please do get in touch via the email address at the top of the page and I'll get back to you ASAP. Much love x